


Needle Ice

by Anonymous



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Ficlet, Ice Skating, Merpeople
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28106586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Koala knows her routine by heart.
Relationships: Koala/Nico Robin
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3
Collections: Anonymous





	Needle Ice

**Author's Note:**

> the wip title for this fic was "haha christmas go burr". this fic was [originally written for rj's warm winter contest!](https://wlwpiece.tumblr.com/post/634239060075069440/wlwpiece-warm-winter-contest) as much as i love robin and koala, they're both characters i have a hard time writing ^^; but im really happy with the end result, especially for a character i was so unsure of writing!

She's there again, filtered and distorted by a dulled out white as her skates glide across the ice. She only comes during the winter, and Koala can only see in the liminal transitions of the weather changes; when the surface of the lake turns solid and sturdy enough to hold her but not quite cold enough to penetrate the water all the way through. Enamoured, Koala perches herself on a rock, gills flaring as the woman delicately stretches her hands outward and bows at the empty scenery. 

They're friends, at least Koala likes to think so - even if they haven't officially been introduced.

She kicks off, skates scoring the ice as she moves languidly. She always starts at the outer part of the ice first, circling inward like a gyre and sucking up all of Koala's attention with her. 

Koala knows this routine by heart; just before she reaches the center of the lake, she'll make a sharp left and curl outwards in a pirouette that has her come down hard on her toes. With the ease of a predator going in for a hunt, she turns her landing into a spin that scrapes the ice away from the surface, bit by bit in a way that makes Koala's heart jitter against her ribs - she falls sometimes, lands hard on her hands and knees, and instead of continuing she'll roll to her back and bask in the nature until someone calls _Robin!_ , shoves their hat on her head, and leaves with her.

(there's always a chance robin could notice her, she always sits right underneath her - koala is patterned so loudly, her bright red and pink scales dotting her body and taking over her tail blare like a traffic signal and sabo will never stop teasing her about it. just her luck that the first time she wants to be noticed is the only time she isn't.)

Her arms are spread out as if in an embrace - her movements have a weight to them, all grand and regal. It would be a lot nicer to dance there with her. The space between her arms is like a nasty wound, and Koala would greatly appreciate being able to fill it with herself. Though she doesn't quite have any legs to stand on (ba-bum-tsk) when it comes to dancing.

The ice is thinner lately, it does wonderfully for the view - Robin is clearer than she has been in ages, but the way air bubbles from her lungs and presses upwards towards the ice is concerning. 

Robin lands hard, feet flat for the landing and Koala cringes seeing an oxygen pocket squeeze through a crack in the ice… that's… not comforting at all.

There's a pretty arc of her back, a long elegant line from toe to the tips of her fingers, spinning in a way that drills her skate into the ice.

There's a muffled scrape of steel against the ice, and Robin brings her left leg up; it's the same anxiety one gets when they see someone swim directly at a particularly spiney collection of coral, or when a swordfish has just about enough of its space intruded on - expected but the foreseen conclusion greatly unpleasant, knowing you're too late to do anything of merit while something devastating happens. Predictable but horrific, like seeing a speeding car during a traffic jam. The ice breaks under Robin, and Koala feels her heart stop. 

It's the first time she hears her voice, clear and loud. Her voice was always too soft to penetrate the ice. Robin doesn't scream, but there's a horrified gasp on her tongue before her head goes under, and Koala moves immediately.

Pros: she's finally been noticed! There's a chance they could be friends now!

Cons: when Robin sees her, her eyes widen and the hands clasped over her mouth loosen. Great, her crush is about to drown.

Robin is a large woman: she has a straight nose and a soft jaw, and pretty deep set eyes and almost everything about her screams dainty and agile. She's a brick in the ocean, and three times as heavy, and it takes all of Koala's strength to heft her back onto the ice. She hears Robin retch up water, then shakily back away. It actually may not have been the tint of the lake, Koala thinks absently, the tips of her ears and her cheeks are flushed, and the skin under her mehndi is tinged a dark, purple color. She's shaking hard enough for her teeth to chatter.

With a strained smile, Koala holds out her hand in greeting. 

"Hey," she starts, "come here often?"


End file.
